Connecting Our Programs: Spotlight on Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria

At NICCA, we believe every Tribal child care program holds powerful stories of resilience, innovation, and love for Native children. That’s why we created Connecting Our Programs—a national storytelling effort to uplift the voices, experiences, and visions of Tribal child care and early learning leaders.

Through conversations, site visits, and shared stories, Connecting Our Programs documents the strategies and cultural strengths of Tribal CCDF programs across Indian Country. The goal is simple: to build a living resource that honors the diversity of Tribal child care while offering inspiration and practical ideas that other programs can use.

For our first feature, we sat down with Sarah Sand, Education, Child Care, and Library Services Director for the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria. Sarah’s journey into Tribal child care was unexpected, but it has grown into a lifelong calling—one rooted in culture, trust, and the vision of raising the next generation of Native leaders.

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A Path That Found Her

When you meet Sarah, it’s clear she carries both humility and determination, but she never imagined herself in this role. At just 17, she was a disadvantaged youth who was given a chance by a woman who saw her potential. That mentor introduced her to a regional occupational program where Sarah began working as a paraprofessional with special needs students in public schools. It was a small step that set her on a much bigger path.

From there, she began to build a career she hadn’t planned on but quickly came to love. Eventually, her Tribe called her back. They needed a director and remembered her work at the daycare. At first, Sarah resisted. “I didn’t think I could do it or that I was qualified,” she admitted. But once she stepped in, she realized she was not only capable but deeply connected to the work.

She also discovered CCDF for the first time—a program she’d never even heard of but that would come to shape her career. What began as doubt grew into purpose, and Sarah found herself leading programs that now include early childhood, youth development, higher education pathways, and the Tribal library.

Weaving Culture into Care

One of the clearest markers of Sarah’s leadership is the way culture is woven into every corner of Bear River’s child care program. “We are a Tribally operated center,” she explained, “so our Culture Department comes in to do drumming, beading, and ribbon skirt classes. In our classrooms, signage is in Bear River, English, and Spanish.”

Children also engage with language videos, flashcards, and speech buttons recorded by Elders. “The kids love them—they can push the buttons, see the word, and hear the word. It keeps them engaged.” Even the youngest are invited to touch pine nuts, seashells, or acorns, or dress in regalia for photo opportunities.

For Sarah, this intentional approach proves that culture doesn’t belong only at special events—it can live in classrooms every single day.

💡 Program Highlight: Small practices—like trilingual signage, recorded language tools, and access to cultural crafts—are powerful, practical ways to strengthen identity in early childhood.

Building Trust with Families and Community

Trust is at the center of everything Sarah and her team do. “It is based entirely on the trust families give us, which involves communication,” she explained. “If they have concerns, we hear them, adapt when we can, and are honest when we can’t.”

That spirit of openness extends to the youth center, which doubles as a community hub. Children, Elders, and families come together for beading, ribbon skirt making, or gardening with the Environmental and Natural Resources Department. “It’s not just about what happens in the classroom,” Sarah said. “It’s about the relationships that surround the children and the support they see from the people around them.”

💡 Takeaway for Programs: Trust and family engagement grow out of consistent communication and open doors. Even small opportunities for families and community members to join activities help children see that their care is supported by the whole Tribe.

Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Growth

With CCDF support, Bear River invested in Discovery Source social-emotional kits, which include storybooks, puppets, calming tools, and characters like Tucker the Turtle and Hummingbird. These resources help children pause, breathe, and recognize their feelings.

Families are part of the process, too—staff receive training and parents are given access to the same materials, creating continuity between home and classroom. “It’s all play-based learning,” Sarah explained. “But what matters most is that families know they can talk to us, and that we’re all using the same strategies.”

For Sarah, the kits are more than tools. They remind children that all feelings are valid, even if not all responses are.

📚 Resource: Social-emotional kits that include both classroom activities and parent resources strengthen consistency between home and school—helping children feel supported in every space.

Facing Workforce Challenges

When asked about challenges, Sarah didn’t hesitate: the workforce. Like many Tribal programs, Bear River struggles to find and keep qualified staff. “There are just not enough quality teachers,” she said. “And if there are, we can’t pay them what they’re worth. Child care, especially infant care, is a desert where I’m from.”

Humboldt County’s rural location adds to the difficulty, with no reliable options for sick care, overnight care, or after-hours support. Despite these gaps, Sarah finds hope in staff who once attended the program as children. “We saw them through daycare, then college, and now they’re back working for us. That’s complete wraparound care.”

⚠️ Challenge Across Indian Country: Recruiting and retaining staff is one of the greatest struggles for Tribal child care. Growing your own workforce by encouraging youth to return as educators or administrators can help create stability in the long run.

Resilience and Leadership for the Future

For Sarah, resilience means adapting, growing, and moving forward together. She sees her role not only as an administrator but also as a mentor, always looking to the next generation. “I’m always telling the kids, ‘I want to train you to be my replacement,’” she laughed. “It’s not just about the daycare floor—we need people to write grants, do admin, and carry this work forward.”

She even encourages the “bossy ones” to see their potential. “We need Tribal members who care about these kids—the ones who know our programs and want to give back.”

Her vision extends beyond Bear River, with hopes to one day contribute to Tribal child care at a national level. Still, she carries a deep sense of responsibility to always give back to her own community.

🌱 Program Highlight: Leadership development doesn’t always mean formal pipelines. Simply encouraging Tribal youth to see themselves as future teachers, directors, or advocates can plant seeds that last for years.

Lessons Learned for New Programs

Sarah admits that stepping into Tribal child care leadership wasn’t easy. She had never heard of CCDF before becoming a director, and the learning curve was steep. “When I first came in, I was woefully underprepared,” she said. “I don’t want anyone else to spend Decembers crying over reports. It felt impossible at first, but once I started, it came together. You just have to start somewhere.”

She emphasized the importance of mentorship and wishes she had that support early on. “Now we have programs in California that connect directors with each other, and I think that’s so awesome. Every director should have that kind of support.”

Her advice is simple: don’t expect perfection. “It’s okay to make mistakes. That’s how we learn and grow.”

💬 Advice for Programs: Starting out in CCDF administration can be intimidating, but mistakes are part of the process. Lean on peer networks, seek mentorship, and remember that even seasoned leaders were beginners once.

The Heart of the Work

When asked what keeps her motivated through all the challenges, Sarah didn’t hesitate: the children.

For Sarah, the children are her constant motivation. “The kids, honestly—they keep me going,” she said. “Some of these children call you ‘mom’ or ‘auntie.’ We know we aren’t their parents, but we are trusted adults in their lives. For some, the kind words we share may be the only ones they ever hear. That breaks my heart—but it’s also what keeps me showing up.”

Graduations are especially meaningful, bringing tears as she watches children she once knew as preschoolers walk across the stage. “Even if they’re not my kids, just knowing we were part of their growth—it’s powerful. It’s our ancestors’ dreams fulfilled.”

Her philosophy is simple: children deserve unconditional love and affirmation. “There’s no such thing as spoiling a child with too much love. Say the kind words. Give the hugs. Cheer them on. There’s never too much of that.”

❤️ Motivation for Others: Tribal child care is more than a service—it is love in action. For some children, providers may be the only steady source of affirmation they receive. That makes this work sacred and deeply impactful.

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Why Sarah’s Story Matters

Sarah’s story is one of humility, resilience, and vision. She never planned to be a director, but through community support, mentorship, and her own determination, she built a program that reflects her people’s culture and values.

Her reflections offer lessons for all Tribal child care programs:

• Culture belongs in daily life. It shouldn’t be reserved for powwows or special events; it should be woven into classrooms, signage, and everyday play.

• Trust grows through communication. Families need to know they’re heard, even when programs can’t meet every request.

• Workforce challenges are real. While funding limits remain a barrier, “growing your own” workforce by investing in youth can build long-term stability.

• Mistakes are part of the journey. Every administrator starts somewhere. Mentorship and shared knowledge help lighten the learning curve.

• Love is the foundation. Affirmation and kindness can change a child’s life. Sometimes, those words may be the only ones they hear.
  

Sarah reminds us that Tribal child care isn’t just about education or compliance—it’s about shaping futures, building leaders, and keeping culture alive. “In this world, there is no small job when it comes to children, education, and love,” she said. “They all matter.”

Her words are both encouragement and a challenge to all of us: to see the work not just as programs and policies, but as life-changing care that fulfills the dreams of our ancestors and prepares the way for generations to come.

✨ This feature is part of NICCA’s Connecting Our Programs project—a storytelling effort to highlight the voices, experiences, and strategies of Tribal CCDF programs across Indian Country. Stay tuned for more stories from the field.